We've heard stories from Ellen and a number of people about what it was like to grow up deaf around Ballarat, about what it's like to get new technology to assist - and also what it's like in 2012. While technology like Bluetooth and wi-fi is increasingly adding to the options available to assist deaf people, there are still some basic services which remain firmly rooted in the 20th century, and attitudes that perhaps need updating.

Ellen reminded me of the ongoing struggle of Ballarat's deaf people to get the only cinema in town to provide sub-titled films to allow deaf people to accompany their friends and family to the flicks.

In fact it was Ashley Heenan, the disability co-ordinator who had worked so closely with ABC Open producer Marc Eiden to develop an Auslan edition of the Moment Behind the Photo and get the stories projected on the walls of the Ballarat Town Hall, who last year took the years-long campaign of Ballarat's community to get the the only cinema in town to provide a basic service for deaf people to Youtube and to the world.

Sad to say, very little has changed since 2011.

Just to make sure about this, I rang the Ballarat Regent cinemas and asked if it was possible to bring my deaf friend to a sub-titled film this week.

"We only have certain sub-titled films, and they're usually only in another language..." said the cinema's representative.

Were there any future plans to get sub-titled editions of recently released films ?

"Not as far as I know... because we are only a small community, you're not going to find it as much as in Melbourne," was the reply.

A quick search on the Web to check this particular factoid fed to me by the Regent Cinema shows the cinemas in these major metropolitan hubs offer captioned films:

* Bendigo;

* Warrnambool;

* Geelong;

* Morwell;

* Shepparton;

* Waurn Ponds

The truth behind this is that Ballarat's deaf community has been waiting nearly four years for a basic bit of technology to make the arduous journey up the Western Freeway from Melbourne to Ballarat.

The facts are that earlier this month, the Swan Hill community - which has a population close to 10,000 - unveiled a service of captioned films for deaf people.

"Digital Cinema has revolutionised the cinema industry and most people have experienced the increased clarity of screen image and innovations such as digital 3D. But few people are aware that movies now also come with the ability to display OC on-screen; which for the first time enables us to open up the cinema experience to people with impaired hearing," said Swan Hill Twilight Cinema spokesperson Andrew Taylor. (OC meaning Open Captions).

Ballarat - which has a population close to 100,000 - that's ten times more people than Swan Hill - is being told it isn't big enough to provide a basic service for its deaf people.

Let's be clear about the technology here - it's about having captions run along the bottom of the screen, so anyone with a hearing problem can watch the film along with their fully-hearing friends and family - and anyone, including the ageing population of babyboomers whose hearing will naturally decline as they move into their 70s and 80s - can benefit from this technology.

It seems Ballarat's deaf people can get their stories, told in Australia's sign language, projected onto the Town Hall - but as for being included as a potential audience by the town's monopoly cinema operator?

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ICinema should be defined as Public Places and be subject to legal obligations.

Subttiles are nowadays removable and not burnt on like tattoo. It should mean that Cinema Managers do switch on Subtitles on request at entrance point. Other hearing persons may object to subtitles on screen but they should be told they are in Public Place and bound by Legal obligations on ground of non-discrimination and consideration of disabled persons (hearing-disabled). They can have DVD without subtitles at home for private consumption:no objection.